00:31:57 - Drinks normally go one way, this time they go another way; embrace the difference. Ryan and Charlie are both drinking Americanos, which is espresso and hot water made to simulate a normal cup of coffee. Ryan, new to this, has many questions for Charlie, which he answers with gusto. Here's some Abe-approved coffee, a Charlie-approved espresso machine, and a thing that'll boil water real good.

01:02:30 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like in-person interviews, they're better with friends. Doing things in sort of reverse order, we begin with Charlie reading an e-mail from Kris H. wondering about claims made by various shades of climate change skeptics and/or deniers. There's a lot to be said, but the take-home message is that all of Kris' links are pointing towards cranks of various stripes, so we won't link them again here. You can read more about the claims these folks are making and how to counteract them here: Skeptical Science Climate Myths, and check out the book The Two-Mile Time Machine if you want to learn more about how we actually take some of the measurement to build our climate models as discussed by Ryan and Charlie. Ending things on a happier note, we thank Patron Billy Nitro by conferring upon him a thesis title. Tying into the show's themes we present: Unraveling the Pop Culture Fabric: Tools to Convince the Public that Dinosaurs had Feathers and Beaks with Applications Towards Climate Skepticism Outreach. Thanks, Billy!

00:39:31 - Now for some bad news, a new study has shown that pikas, a cute lagomorph related to bunnies, are locally extinct around Lake Tahoe, which probably spells doom for the rest of the species. We explain why and just generally lament the state of things.

00:58:34 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like local extinctions, part of you wishes they'd just get it over with. First, we power through Ben's connectivity issues to get Patron Richard H. a thesis title as thanks for supporting the show. His title is Neutron Star Collisions Increase Gold, Ultimately Decrease Pikas (Ochotona princeps): The Sad Story Of Alpine Pikas In A Warming Climate: The Thesis. Thanks, Richard! Next up, Matt has an e-mail from Xander O. about how small changes, like 1 degree of temperature, can have really big effects around the globe. Ryan ends things with a voicemail from Josh from VA, who has kind words for us all, so that's nice. Don't forget to check out the other shows in the network, The Titanium Physicists and In Defense Of Plants, and you can check out Ryan talking about five minutes of John Carpenter's The Thing beginning with minute 41 on The Thing Minute.

00:00:00 - Kelly and Ryan are joined by Abby Howard (@AbbyHoward) to talk about her new graphic novel Dinosaur Empire! Journey through the Mesozoic Era, the first in her Earth Before Us series of all ages paleontology focused books. We chat with her about how she got her start drawing comics, especially those of a dinosaurian variety.

00:27:05 - We normally don't record in the morning, but when we do, you can expect a very different drinks segment. This is one of those times. Abby is kicking back some water because it's important to stay hydrated. Kelly is having a decaf skim milk latte because it's also important to stay caffeinated, but not too caffeinated. Ryan, advocating for the exact opposite lesson, is having homemade cold brew concentrate straight from the jar. Tastes slightly better than rubbing it right in your eyes.

00:31:36 - Next, we keep chatting with Abby about what she learned about dinosaurs in making her book, and what she learned through the process of trying to teach others about dinos. It's all just sharing and learning in this segment, good vibes. You can find more of Abby's work at her website, Junior Scientist Power Hour, and support her in creating comics on Patreon.

01:01:23 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like all-ages books, they're good for all ages. Ryan begins with a thesis title for Jacob W. (as a reward to supporting us on Patreon). Suspecting that Jacob might be related to a certain cinematic assassin, we grant him the title: Did Velociraptor hunt Protoceratops for money? A theory of dinosaurian currency in the late Cretaceous. Kelly winds things up with a somewhat somber and heartfelt e-mail from Leigh, about the state of the world and turning towards science for comfort. Thanks for the kind words. Also, Kelly's book, Soonish, is out now if you want to feel hopeful(ish) about the future.

You can now find some of our episodes on Youtube, if that's a thing that works for you.

00:00:00 - This episode Ryan is joined by returning guest Daphne Pringle and first-time guest Dr. Jen Gallagher, a listener who wrote in to let us know about some of the positive changes that have happened at WVU's Department of Biology. We spend the first segment talking about Jen's research using yeast and genomics to study drug and pesticide resistance. One of her students has a paper coming out in PLoS One soon, so stay tuned!

00:25:08 - While we wait for the new paper to drop, why not enjoy a drink? Jen keeps it local with a Halleck Pale Ale from Chestnut Brew Works, a brewery that eventually hopes to make a beer with all West Virginian ingredients. Daphne keeps things Old Fashioned, literally, using the Yippee Ki-Yay blend from High West Distillery. Ryan rounds things out with Revival Sorghum Whiskey from Charleston (South Carolina), mostly so he can finish off the bottle and play a nice song in the transition to the next segment...

00:33:38 - Since Jen first wrote in to tell us about teaching biology at WVU, we spend the second segment talking about teaching. We discuss how her courses are structured to maximize student engagement (and engagement with Wikipedia) by focusing on sometimes horrifying genetic diseases as a teaching tool. We also discuss her efforts to engage the people of WV in her citizen science initiative "I Ask Why", which helps the community better understand the microbes living all around them. For updates, you can follow Jen on twitter @yeastychic.

01:13:54 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like yeast, you can find them anywhere and they're hard to kill. Ryan starts off with a big THANK YOU to Patron Erich E. This means Erich gets a thesis, and his is: Teaching Outcomes of Yeast-inebriated Individuals Upon Exposure To -omics Data. Daphne wants to keep talking about evolution, so her contribution today is an old Facebook message from Andy S., who works construction but wants to talk about dinosaurs. Specifically, why weren't there any quadrupedal carnivorous dinosaurs? Discussion ensues, including some talk about a paper from earlier this year that has shaken the dinosaur family tree at its base. Be sure to follow Daphne on Twitter (@drpingleetal), and if you need more podcasts to listen, why not hear Ryan talk about his journey to becoming a paleontologist on HumaNature Episode 23 - Between a Rock and a Holy Place.

00:20:45 - Drinks are another way we've figured out how to infuse carbon dioxide into liquid, but we let it out again once we drink it. Whoops. Charlie really enjoys his Bodhizafa IPA from Georgetown Brewing, which of course prompts a discussion of the themes of the 1991 classic film Point Break. Joe references another film franchise with his Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer, but we'll let you put the pieces together yourself. And Ryan wraps it all up with a La Cumbre Elevation IPA sent to him by Matty J.

00:31:45 - Because we're all happy to launch stuff into orbit but no one wants to bring it back down ever, space junk is becoming a big problem (which you can see for yourself here). A joint research team at JPL and Stanford have looked towards the ultra-sticky feet of the gecko as a potential solution, but do the boys agree that this is the best solution? The answer may surprise you...

00:55:01 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like space junk, there's a lot of them and the problem is only getting worse. Joe complains about getting the best kind of feedback, a new Patreon subscriber from longtime supporter Andrew H. Thanks, Andrew! As part of his rewards, he gets a thesis title, and his is: Particulate Elimination Procedure in Trans-Orbital Space (PEPTO) as a function of decreasing carbonic acid degradation of calcitic systems in the surface ocean. Next up, Ryan reads a 5-star iTunes review that comes in hot with some criticism. Hopefully, we can all come together again over the greatness of orangutans. And Charlie has a question about a bet we made on various energy technologies back in the halcyon days of episode 88. Charlie has an update: we all lost. But Charlie is also looking for new grad students, so if you're interested in energy work, check out the Western Washington University Institute for Energy Studies website and get in touch. Ryan was interviewed about his journey from Creationist to Scientist on the Human Nature podcast, so check that out if that sounds interesting to you.

00:31: 35 - Volcanic lakes can bubble up carbon dioxide, as can carbonated beverages. Joe goes first with a Death Valley cola since volcanoes are also hot and deadly? Ryan risks injury and sickness by drinking some homemade fermented pineapple drink known as tepache. Click here to watch a video on how to make it yourself. You'll need some jars, lids, and stones too. Abe surprises Ryan with some Mezcal Matra in his continuing quest to try every type of distilled agave beverage that Mexico has to offer. Smooth and smokey.

01:11:14 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like volcanos, they can go off without warning and you could end up in an Italian prison. Ryan goes first to thank Tom S. from the peak of good living for his recurring donation through Paypal. Thanks, Tom! Joe's up next with a thesis title for Patron Gretchen L. It takes some doing, but the boys figured it out: Implementation of Autonomous Subterranean Vehicles for Sonar Mapping of Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalusglaber) Colonies in the Volcanic Soils of Ol Doinyo Lengai. Finally, Abe is excited about a new 5-star iTunes review from RachaelRidiculous, which is always a treat. To hear Ryan try to be serious, you can listen to his audio essay from the Out There podcast, The Reluctant Outdoorsman.

00:24:44 - Kelly considers fibbing but opts for honesty as she drinks her water. Ryan has a Grolsch because he needs a resealable bottle for some home fermentation projects, and why buy empty beer bottles when you can just empty them yourself?

00:31:42 - Part 2 of our interview with Misha chats about the importance of parasite research, and what future projects Misha has in store.

00:49:51 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like parasites in bird guts, they always come out at the end. First up, we thank Terry R. for being a Patron of the show, which earns them a thesis title. There's is A Bird in the Hand: Mechanisms of manipulation of avian defecation by Diplostomumpseudospathaceum. Thanks, Terry! Kelly has a Facebook message from D Rex who ran half a marathon while enjoying hearing about Kelly's research in episode 259. Way to go! Don't forget to pre-order Kelly's upcoming book Soonish, and check out Ryan's episode of the Out There podcast called "The Reluctant Outdoorsman".

00:00:00 - Something a little different this week as Ryan presents some audio from a project he did with the startup Anchor.fm earlier this year producing some science segments for a channel called Organized Curiosity. He's drinking a Manta Ray from Ballast Point Brewing Company, which will become relevant later, but for now, here are the topics that get covered:

00:00:00 - This episode Ryan and Ben are joined by Dr. Rachel Brown Reid to tell us about her work with road killed coyotes. But first, we have to make sure Ben is up to speed with the basics of stable isotope analysis. Rachel and Ryan do their best to explain.

00:32:56 - Now that we've supped from the font of knowledge, how about just having some sips of a normal drink? We make the mistake of letting Ben go first. He's having some sort of nonsensical overly complicated health drink. Whatever. Rachel keeps it local with a 2011 B.C. India Style Brown Ale from Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, her favorite brewery in a region with lots of good options. Ryan rounds out the segment with a Tart Mango Cart from Golden Road Brewing given to him by listener and pickle-friend of the show Jerrold D.

00:44:19 - Rachel just had a paper come out, which you can read for free from PLoS One where she's analyzed stable isotopes of scat from road killed coyotes. What did she learn? Listen and find out! Also, sometimes coyotes and badgers team up and we think that's great. Also also, be sure to check out episode 206 which features Rachel's husband talking about his ecology research in Costa Rica.

01:22:13 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like coyotes: they're tricksters. Ben begins by thanking Randy D. for becoming a Gravity Pusher patron on Patreon, which means he gets a thesis title. The title of Randy's research is: Temporally-integrated listening habits of mesopredator canids under SO31 transformation. Thanks, Randy! Ryan fields some lightsaber questions from new listener ToRy, with Ben's help of course.

00:00:00 - We are stoked to have returning guestDaphne Pringle back on the show! And while it's not the most upbeat topic, she is indeed here to talk about cancer. Turns out, cancer evolves just like any other organism, but we don't always study in the same way. Maybe we should? Discussion ensues based on the following papers:

00:36:34 - Nothing like talking about cancer to make one want a carcinogen. Daphne reps her local scene with a Tastes LIke Citrus from Two Row Brewing. Ryan has a Brazilian beer called Belô Petroleum: The Great Discovery, which gives him a chance to rant about the North Dakota Access Pipeline. Charlie honors our Utahn guest with his choice of a Uinta Hop Nosh IPA.

01:24:11 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like face cancer, you don't want to get bit but it may be hard to avoid. Charlie goes first so he can thank Patron Courtney Brooke Davis, who donates monthly on Patreon at a level where she gets designated a thesis title and her title is: Nonlinear Metastatic Transmissible Neoplastic Cancers in Ancient Marsupials from Midden Remains in Mainland Oceania. Thanks, Courtney! Daphne, since she's been on the show before, has some feedback of her own, from Jen G. who teaches at Daphne's alma mater and wants to let folks know about some improvements since Daphne was an undergrad. Ryan's paleoPOW also spawns from Daphne's first appearance because Tyler F. who wants to talk more about speciation, which is a pretty complicated topic, including wackiness such as ring species.

We're now on Patreon! Please consider supporting us financially there and get cool rewards for doing so.

00:20:45 - Arctic foxes bring the produce, but we bring the drinks. This time Joe is enjoying a Sprecher Cherry Cola. Abe is all about his Fancy Pants V3 from Jessup Farm Barrel House, complete with fox logo. Ryan tries out his Spanish to describe a Vieja Compa Picante (or Spicy Old Pal) made with Dominican Bermudez Aniversario 1852 and Habanero Bitters.

01:00:18 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like volcanoes, easier to run away from than you might expect. Abe begins with a donation from Matthew J. who felt bad that his recurring payment fell out so he tosses us a lump sum. Thanks, Matthew! Next up, former guest of the show and current Paleopatron Dr. John Pohl MD has signed up to support us on Patreon and has earned himself a fake thesis title. John's title is: Applications of the Bristol Stool Scale to Winter Arctic Fox (Vulpeslagopus)Fecal Production and Deposition. Lastly, Joe shares a 5-star iTunes review from nh800.

We're now on Patreon! Please consider supporting us financially there and get cool rewards for doing so.

00:00:00 - Kelly Weinersmith is here and she's got a book coming out co-written with some dude named Zach Weinersmith, whoever that is. The book is called Soonish, it's coming out soon, but you can pre-order it now. Pre-ordering is super important for their rankings on the sales charts, plus you get super cool rewards so get on it!

00:45:18 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like wolves: they do move in herds. Now that we're on Patreon, if you support us at the Avogadro's Army level or higher, we will make up a fake thesis title for you. Our first recipient of this reward goes to Becky Wertz and her thesis is titled: Stochastic methods for testing differences in adhesion between lingually wetted stamps versus sticker stamps. Thanks, Becky! Next up, Bob M. has some words about Lagrange as discussed in some of our AGU coverage. And finally, Kelly reads a glowing 5-star iTunes review from Susie Haupt, aka Ryan's mom.

We're now on Patreon! Please consider supporting us financially there and get cool rewards for doing so.

00:21:32 - In the past, both elephants and ancient people had drinks, so let's keep the tradition alive! Rachel stays responsible with some water. Marina enjoys some Bramble Scotch Liqueur. And Ryan tries to keep things thematic with a Prop Culture from Odell.

00:30:46 - The reason this interview came about was because of comics, so we can't help but have a free-wheeling discussion about how Rachel and Marina wound up in Marvel's The Unstoppable Wasp #1, representation, and comics we love. The list of comics mentioned or discussed includes:

00:00:00 - This week Ryan interviews W. John Calder, who just finished his Ph.D. studying fire ecology and paleoclimate. We spend the first segment talking about the basics of his research, and some admittedly nitpicky differences between their fields.

00:36:30 - Fires are best put out with liquid, but maybe not this kind of liquid. Ryan is sipping on some Bone Snapper Rye Whiskey with Bittermens Burlesque Bitters, both gifts from his wife.

01:31:38 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like fire, cool in the kitchen for a second, but then they aren't. Ryan thanks Philip O. for a recent donation, and asks how the rest of the audience feels about doing something special for the upcoming eclipse in North America. Also, we're now on Patreon if you're interested in supporting the show and getting some sweet rewards for doing so.

00:20:15 - Nothing like thinking about having your brain infected by parasites to make you want a drink, right? Joe thinks he's being original but doesn't realize he's just Jacob because they both thought it would be cool to drink Soylent on the show. Joe's is chocolate flavored instead of coffee, so there's that. Ryan feels cheated with his supposedly 'Scandanavian' Cider that's actually made in Estonia. Not cool!

00:50:12 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like frog's swallowing; they both involve more moving parts than you'd expect. Kelly begins with a donation from Eric W. who wanted to thank us for getting him through some tough times. You're welcome and thank you for supporting the show! Joe has more to say about frogs thanks to an e-mail about American Bullfrogs invading Canada as researched by Hans C. And Ryan wraps up with a new 5-star iTunes review (our favorite kind!).

00:24:49 - That noise on the microphone? That's us drinking, but don't worry, we'll tell you what's in the glass. Patrick continues his quest to try beers Ryan hasn't had, this time with a Sierra Nevada Single Hop Cascade IPA, but you'll have to listen to see if he's bested Ryan. Ryan classes up the joint with a Chateau Palais Cardinal 2011 St. Emilion Grand Cru from Bordeaux. Dang. Tim finishes up the segment with a Shade of Gray, Black, and White IPA plus some silly RadioLab noises, because we're fairly sure that's not an overdone joke just yet.

00:00:00 - Usually whenever you want to make up nonsense that sounds plausible, you throw in the word 'quantum'. We're all guilty of it from time to time. Fortunately, we have Ben Tippett here to explain the actual quantum happenings behind our first observation of quantum distortion in empty space. You can read the paper on the arXiv here.

00:27:19 - Extra long drinks segment because there's just so much to talk about! Ben's perfect memory of every previous episode fails him just this once when he has the Swedish holiday soda Dryck Julmust, just like Ryan already had on episode 234. Silly, Ben. Ryan is feeling ambitious, so he drinks an entire Galaxy from Funkwerks. Jacob, an adult with stuff to get done mixes a meal with his caffeine by giving Coffiest from (probably not using people as an ingredient but still suspicious) Soylent a try.

00:45:45 - When you think of radar, you probably think of green blips signaling enemy aircraft, but Google's ATAP group has just announced Project Soli, which aims to put a microchip with radar sensors in your phone so you can make things happen just by moving your hands around. Jacob thinks it's a big deal, and he's usually right about these sorts of things so listen up.

More of Ryan bumming around a professional meeting, microphone in hand.

00:00:00 - First up is Stacey Felgate (@StaceyFelgate) and Kim Gottschalk (@Kim_Gottschalk). Stacey tells us a little bit about her work on blue carbon storage in salt marshes. Next, Kim tells us about her project investigating the source of Antarctic bottom water with GO-SHIP. They both also have a lot of recommendations for how to get involved in research as an undergrad, which you can learn about with these links:

00:23:04 - We end our AGU coverage shooting the breeze with our old friend Miles Traer (@Geo_Miles), who was also working the meeting from multiple angles and drawing cartoons the whole while. Per usual, the conversation strays from geoscience to pop culture asking the big questions like, "Could the Death Star really blow up a planet?" (Answer) and "Is Independence Day actually a good movie?" (Answer). At some point, Miles may even talk about the actual research he's been up to.

01:09:40 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like conferences, neither have enough coffee to go around. This week we're thanking Moe S. for his continued patronage and recent donation. Moe's reminds us that it's never too late to get an education and we thank him for being a loyal listener all these years. All the feels.

00:00:00 - First, we chat Martín S Hoecker-Martínez about his philosophy of outreach and his work studying the carbon fluxing of the ocean around Antarctica with ORCAS (acronym, not the animal). Be sure to follow him on Twitter (@msmithma) and learn more with these helpful links:

01:04:03 - PaleoPOWs are a lot like large meetings, it's easy to feel insignificant but people probably still like you. This week we're happy to have a donation from Victor C. who gives us some holiday cheer along with some money. Thanks, Victor!